Meant To Be
by MoonShine9229
Summary: Ziva's been dating someone for a while, but has kept it a secret from everyone, including Tony. But something happens and she goes to the only person who would always be there for her.


"Meant to Be"

It had been a long case for the team. A marine had come home to find his wife in bed with another man and, in a rage-induced state of mind, he drew his service weapon and shot them both. NCIS was called in to work this controversial case and, while Gibbs knew how the marine felt at the time of the attack, none of the younger agents could understand how someone could just shoot their wife after catching her cheating. Sure, it was a despicable act, but not one that required that much violence. They worked on it for three days straight, until they found out that the husband had, in fact, committed the crime. Until that moment, he had been their prime suspect, but they were happy they could finally formally charge him. So, after an exhausting 72-hour, nonstop workday, Gibbs told his team to go home.

Usually, after work, McGee would go home and relax playing videogames on his computer; and Tony would either go to a bar hoping to pick a girl up for the night or go home alone to watch one of his movies. Ziva, on the other hand, would usually go to the gym to train and practice, because it helped her unload after a long day at the office or she'd go home and relax in bed. But not tonight. It had been such a draining and tiring case that all they wanted to do was go home and catch up on some sleep. Tony and McGee did so, but what they didn't know, in fact what no one knew, was that Ziva had been seeing someone for a few months.

She'd met him during a case they'd worked on about four months ago. He had been the victim's best friend and it had been Ziva's job to interview him. She'd given him her card in case he remembered something pertaining the murder of his friend, but he never called. At least not about the murder. Two weeks after the case was over, he called her and asked her out for drinks. The rest, as they say, is history.

Seth Jacobsen was his name and Ziva was very happy with him: he was someone who was okay with who she was, which is why she hadn't told anyone about him. She wanted it to be their secret and that's why it was working. She was going to tell everyone eventually, but when the relationship was stronger and not subject to mockery or judgment, especially from Tony. Seth was a good guy, he made her laugh and she liked spending time with him because he was a friendly face outside the office. She knew that she'd finally found a nice guy worth keeping. Someone who wouldn't hurt her, who wasn't using her to get back at her father. Someone she could have fun with and who would take care of her whenever she needed it. He was just a regular guy and that's exactly what she needed. It was exactly what she wanted.

So, that night after work, she went back home hoping to find Seth and be with him. He could make her feel better no matter what and the best thing was he understood why she couldn't talk about work. But what Ziva found when she got home was far from what she was expecting to find.

Seth wasn't alone.

He was with some twenty-something bimbo on Ziva's bed. In that moment, she understood why the case they'd worked on had been so controversial. She had anger oozing out of her body. Her blood was boiling and all she wanted to do was kill them both. She drew her gun and, just as she was about to pull the trigger, she remembered the case and how it all had turned out. The marine had cut a deal for 15 to 20 years in prison for double homicide, and only because he confessed and pleaded guilty. Ziva thought about it and finally decided that 15 to 20 years was way too high a price to pay for killing them. It wasn't worth it. _He_ wasn't worth it. So, instead, she took his copy of the key to her apartment, broke up with him and proceeded to throw him –and miss bimbo- out.

Ziva sat in her living room, stunned and outraged at the mere thought of her boyfriend in bed with another girl. She thought about getting drunk, but it was a school's night and if she showed up hangover at work the following morning, people would start to ask her about it and she didn't feel like telling the world about her cheating boyfriend. She needed to talk to someone, so she went to the only place where she knew someone would listen. Tony's.

It was pretty late and she knew he was tired, too, and could already be asleep, so she called him first to check if it was okay for her to show up at his place.

— "Hello?" His voice was groggy.

— "Hey… Did I wake you?" Her voice was soft, a bit hesitant.

— "No… Not at all. Are you alright? You sound different"

"Is it okay if I come over? I need to talk to someone…"

"Yeah, of course. Is everything alright, Ziva?"

"Yeah… No… I'll tell you when I get there. Thank you, Tony."

"Sure, no problem."

She packed a bag, hoping to stay at a hotel for the rest of the night. She couldn't spend the night at her apartment, not after what had happened. But she was going to talk to Tony first.

During her drive over, a lot went through her mind. She told herself how she could be so stupid to get cheated on. She knew Tony would tell her it hadn't been her fault, but she couldn't help but to feel that way. That she had, somehow, let it happen.

She arrived at Tony's with tears in her eyes, which she tried to fight and hold back. But of course, Tony knowing her so well, noticed it immediately.

"Hey… Is everything okay?" He sounded serious and he was.

"No. I need to talk to someone"

"I'm here for anything you need. Sleep is overrated anyways, right?" He tried to make her smile.

"If I tell you something in confidence, will you keep it a secret? Please…?"

"Of course. You can trust me. I won't tell anyone"

They sat on his couch, opposite one another.

"Remember that case, about four months ago, where that marine's daughter was kidnapped?" Tony nodded. "Well, I interviewed one of the family's friend, Seth Jacobsen, and after the case was over, he asked me out. We've been dating ever since…"

"What? Really?" Ziva nodded. "Well, that's great, Ziva! Congratulations! But I don't understand why you look so sad. Did something happen?"

"When I got home today, just a few hours ago, I found him in my bed with some girl" Her voice started to break and her eyes started welling up.

"Oh, honey! I'm so sorry! What did you do?"

"Well, let's just say that I understand why that marine shot his wife and her lover. I aimed my gun at them, but I couldn't pull the trigger. Not worth it." A single tear rolled down her cheek, but she still refused to break down.

Tony saw Ziva like he'd never seen her before. Vulnerable, heartbroken. It hard for him, but it pissed him off that some jerk had cheated on her and made her feel so worthless. In her place, he would've shot them. He, then, reached for her arm to comfort her, but she got up and started pacing around the living room.

"Do you want me to do something about it? Confront him, maybe?"

"No! Please, don't! That not why I'm here"

"Ok, what _can_ I do? I want to help?"

"Just listen" Tony nodded. "I mean, did I do something wrong? Maybe I wasn't there enough…"

"No, Ziva! It wasn't your fault! If he cheated on you, then he's the one who's at fault, not you. He's the jerk. And it's his loss."

"You really mean that?" She was still shedding a few tears. She needed his reassurance.

She was standing by the window, looking out, but not really focusing on anything in particular, just staring into space. Tony got up from the couch and stood beside her. He grabbed her hand and waited for her to pull away or resist, but she didn't.

"You deserve better, Ziva. And one day you'll find him"

"What if I'm looking too hard? Or not enough?"

"Well, then maybe he'll find you"

Ziva stared at him. Her gaze went from his eyes to his lips back to his eyes again. His gaze never left her eyes. He leaned forward and closed the gap between them. A gentle kiss that meant so much for both of them. It was the beginning of something beautiful.

She could stop looking, now.

He had found her.


End file.
